Whatever It Is
by Sawahcakes
Summary: Cross is a rising star of BLADE, and HB is an ambitious Pathfinder with dreams of being the next BLADE Commander. Both strong and successful in their own right, but when they decide to work together, their missions just never go as planned. What is it that makes them mess up so often? Whatever it is, they better figure it out fast. (Chapter 3 is up!)
1. Chapter 1 - Violet

**A/N: Welcome to my first attempt at any sort of fanfiction writing! It started as one single before bed thought, and ended up turning into a full-fledged story. Get ready for lots of bad puns, a little angst, some misadventures, and maybe, just MAYBE, some romance! Feel free to R &R!  
Oh, last note! This chapter takes place right after Chapter 3 in-game, pretty much right when you first meet H.B.  
**Chapter 1 – Violet

"Hello? Cross? Ya there?" Lin waved her hands in front of her teammate's face.  
"WHA?!" Cross jumped in her seat, her swirling thoughts having suddenly been interrupted. "Oh, yeah… I'm fine. Didn't really sleep last night. I guess I can't get yesterday out of my head yet."  
"But we did kick those xeno's butts! And now we have emergency rations that follow us wherever we go! I call that a DOUBLE win!" Lin exclaimed with her trademark wink.  
"TATSU NOT FOOD! LINLY NOT FUNNY!" Tatsu, their new Nopon companion, stomped his stubby feet.

Elma looked onto the group. "Well, Rook, it's understandable that you would be apprehensive today. That WAS the first time you saw human death. And sadly, it won't be the last." Despite her military experience, combined with the level of trust Commander Vandham has placed in her, Elma cannot shield her young and inexperienced team from the horrors of their new life on the planet Mira.

"I guess I just didn't expect to be dealing with hostile xenos hell-bent on killing us when I've only been here one damn week." In the short time since Secretary Nagi "gently convinced" Cross to join BLADE, the rookie had already experienced more than some veteran BLADEs. Yesterday Team Elma had left to investigate a lost signal from a group of Pathfinders only to be greeted by the Prone, a group of xenos who had slaughtered the group. After what felt like hours of monotonous paperwork, Cross, Elma, Lin, and their new "friend", Tatsu, returned to the BLADE Barracks for much needed—albeit broken—sleep. Everytime she found herself finally drifting off, Cross was haunted by images of mangled bodies and pained expressions plastered on lifeless faces, causing her to wake in a cold sweat. Needless to say, she was effectively rattled.

Cross was young, perhaps 25 or 26? She truly was not sure, seeing as she had no memories of her life before Elma found her lifepod in a remote corner of Primordia. She was petite, about 5 feet, 2 inches by American measurement. Her hair was short, in a slightly messy and longer, yet stylish, pixie cut, colored silver with lavender ends, and her eyes were a deep shade of indigo. Well, she must have been unique prior to crash landing on Mira… that was for sure.

Before she knew it, Cross was once again staring into nothing while pushing around her breakfast. She had her blank stare met once again, but this time by her concerned leader, Elma.  
"It's okay to be afraid, you know. You have every right to be. But from now on we need to focus on how we are going to keep our city and its people safe from this new threat. And by 'from now on' – I mean tomorrow. Commander Vandham gave us the day off. Let's hit the town today!"

Cross' face lit up. She never had the opportunity to enjoy New Los Angeles for all its sights, sounds, and most importantly – SHOPS. She may not remember her pre-Miran life, but she DOES know she loves to shop. She changed from her pajamas to her generic BLADE tee and pants – literally the only clothes she owned- then headed out to the Administrative District with her team.

"Do you wanna get some new ground gear first? That should help you feel a lot safer!" Lin exclaimed as they made their way first to Armory Alley.  
Cross graciously nodded her head and made her way to the shop terminal. As she approached it, she looked up to see that somebody was already shopping. He was tall and quite handsome, with messy dark brown hair and intense green eyes hidden behind thick framed glasses, with a mole underneath his left eye. He wore deep pocketed cargo pants and torso armor and armwear just tight enough to emphasize the definition of his muscles. Cross watched as he navigated the terminal with ease, selecting a new high-powered assault rifle. As he bent down to pick up his new weapon, Cross couldn't help but stare at his perfectly round backside.  
 _Do he got a booty? HE DO!_ She unashamedly thought to herself.  
The mysterious man stood back up and turned around, facing his new admirer. Looking right into her eyes, he cracked a half smile and winked at Cross. _Did my panties just fall down? Yep, pretty sure they did,_ she thought to herself. Then, just as quickly, his eyes widened and his jaw dropped slightly, twisting his face into one of pure horror. He stumbled back a couple of steps, and just like that, he was gone. Cross kept her gaze on the man who was speedily walking away. _What spooked him so badly that he ran away like that? Is there something on my face? Oh no, I hope I didn't scare him away!_ She thought to herself with a bright red blush on her face.

"He really is a beautiful man, isn't he?" said a voice from behind Cross' shoulder.  
Cross whipped around to see Lara Nara, with his bright violet hair, lips, and eye shadow, and much too heavy armor to accommodate his work as a Mediator in NLA.  
"Ummm, excuse me?" Cross asked, slightly perplexed.  
"Oh, don't tell me you weren't staring at that SUPERIOR body and pretty face, because I was watching you. But don't worry, I was staring too. I can't help but stare every time that hunk makes his way over here."  
Cross finally understood. "Something tells me YOU'RE the reason why he looked so horrified just before he ran away."  
"Why, sweetheart, I have no idea what you're talking about! Well, since the eye candy is gone, I better be too. Let me know if you need anything!" And with that, Lara Nara blew Cross a kiss and was gone.

Cross found herself staring at the screen of the terminal, sheer embarrassment still written all over her face. With so many choices, how did that man pick so fast? After careful consideration, she finally settled upon a new assault rifle and knife, and some Sakuraba medium armor. Her knew armor was tight and low-cut enough to show off her curves, yet thick enough to keep her well protected. She felt unstoppable now! She turned from the shop terminal to see Elma and Lin approaching her, her new air of confidence apparent for all to see.

"Wow, Cross! You look great! Just like a true BLADE!" Lin exclaimed, in awe of her friends new gear.  
"Agreed," Elma nodded. "You'll definitely excel in future missions. Now, let's go have some lunch. I called Gwin and Irina to join us. It's my treat!"

Team Elma made their way to the Barista Court where they found Gwin and Irina already seated, still covered in muck and grime from their latest Interceptor mission. Elma held her nose in disgust.  
"Jeez, you guys could have at least washed up before meeting us!" she coughed to her friends.  
Irina scoffed. "Hey, it's not like those Scirpos around the West Gate were gonna kill themselves! Besides, we weren't gonna be late if the Colonel offered to pay…"  
Elma sighed. "Fair enough. I'm just glad you were able to join us."  
"Well unlike you, it's not exactly like we get a day off," Irina stated with a firm nod.  
"We needed a mental health day after what we experienced yesterday so stop complaining Lieutenant!"  
"Yes Colonel! Yes ma'am!" Irina blushed and saluted her superior officer.

The group of friends enjoyed coffee, pastries, and sandwiches together, with Tatsu and Irina's voracious causing them to accumulate quite the impressive tab. Impressive… as in all but a few hundred of Elma's credits.  
"We should have all gone Dutch…" Elma sighed as she looked at the bill.  
"Elma said her treat. Tatsu not refuse and be rude!" Tatsu exclaimed matter-of-factly.  
"Yeah, and thanks to you and the walking cesspool, I'm broke."  
"Well, as it is, Gwin and I will be spending most of our time and credits today on laundry. I'm pretty sure our latest adventure will need at least 3 runs through the heavy soil cycle…" Irina gave her best puppy dog eyes to the Colonel.  
"…okay. Think about it as a gift, but YOU PAY the next time," Elma said as she walked to the register.

As Elma was working out the check, Gwin turned to Cross. "You really look official now! It's like you're getting stronger every day!"  
Cross smiled wide. "That's my goal! I'm going to keep improving and getting stronger!"  
"So…" Gwin side-eyed his new friend. "Is there somebody you want to protect?"  
"Ummm… myself?" Cross raised and eyebrow and stared at him quizzically.  
"…oh." Gwin stared back down at the table.  
"What? Is there somebody you want to protect?"  
"Ohyeahmyselfaswell. Ha—nobody else but me." Cross studied Gwin's face, which was now looking away.  
 _Yep, he's totally staring at Irina,_ Cross thought to herself with a smile.  
"Well, Gwin, if you ever want to train together, let me know!"  
"I might have to take you up on that offer one of these days! See you around, Cross!" Gwin waved as he ran to rejoin the Lieutenant.

Lin gave Cross a curious look, "So… You and Gwin?"  
"Ha! It's not like that! I do think he and I will become really fast friends. Plus building connections always helps increase chances of one's success, especially now that I joined the Interceptors."  
"So ambitious! Spoken like a true BLADE!" Lin exclaimed with a thumbs-up.  
The girls giggled to each other, more excited than ever about realizing their dreams on Mira.  
As Elma approached with her now empty wallet, Cross followed her and Lin back to the Barracks, where they debated their next move.  
"Don't worry Elma, we can always take some basic missions at the BLADE Concourse tomorrow to get some more money." Lin patted Elma's back in attempts to comfort true.  
Elma pondered for a moment. "That's true I guess, plus Rook can gain more experience and show NLA how brightly she shines!"  
Cross perked up. "I'd love that! And I get to break in my new gear!"  
Elma let out a small chuckle, her eyes sparkling with pride at her new recruit. "I'm glad that you're feeling better now. Let's get some rest so we can earn some much-needed credits."

As she laid her head down to rest, Cross excitedly anticipated what adventures she would be embarking on the following day. But no matter how hard she tried, she just couldn't get that mysterious man at Armory Alley out of her head…

The next morning, Team Elma rose early and set out to mission control in the BLADE Concourse. Cross stared in awe at the massive number of different missions, from gathering items to defeating tyrants, to helping NLA's citizens. Just as she was about to select a mission that finally caught her eye, she was interrupted by a voice.

"Umm, excuse me? AHEM! You there! The one about to take that mission? I'm talking to YOU."  
Cross turned to the voice, only to be shocked by the person she saw standing there.

 _It was that same mysterious man from yesterday._

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
 **A/N: Thanks for reading Chapter 1! Again, this is my very first attempt at any sort of fanfiction, so reviews/critique is always welcome! (Especially if anything's unclear, or if I make characters too OOC). Chapter 2 will be up later this week, and later chapters will likely upload about 1 every 1-2 weeks. I currently work full-time and am completing my capstone for my master's degree, so fic writing will be slow. Sorry!**

 **Next Chapter: Cross realizes the hot mystery man may _not_ be as perfect as she originally thought. Also, Elma gets no respect around here.**

 **Until next time!**


	2. Chapter 2 - Importance

**A/N: Welcome to Chapter 2! This chapter is based on H.B.'s first affinity mission, so spoilers if you haven't gotten there yet! Enjoy the first adventure of H.B. and Cross!**

Chapter 2 – Importance

Cross was transfixed. _Why must this guy be so hot? And more importantly, what the heck does he want with me?_ She thought to herself.

"Ahem, you're about to take that mission? I'm here to tell you not to. Clearly the BLADE much more qualified to complete this mission effectively is me," the man stated matter-of-factly as he fixed his glasses.

Cross blinked slowly. _Okay, so his looks are clearly his only redeeming features…_

"Here, I have some small gathering missions that are more on your level…" the man said as he pulled out his comm device to transmit the data.  
"Hold on, who do you think you are? You can't just order me around like that!" Cross could feel her heart race with how angry she was at him.  
"Oh? I see you don't know me just yet. I am Hector Birtwhistle. Also known as the future commander of BLADE… but you can just call me H.B. And I wouldn't call it 'ordering' so much as 'highly recommending' that you hand that mission over to me."  
"No way, find your own mission! I can handle this one just fine," Cross huffed as she crossed her arms across her chest.  
"Hah, you're comparing yourself to a BLADE of such caliber as me? Here then, how about a little competition. If you complete these missions, maybe I will consider you worthy of my time." H.B. tapped the screen of his comm device to transfer the missions over to Cross. "Granted, they're not very easy and will probably take you a long time to complete... but I will be waiting here until you're done."

Cross stared at the screen of her comm device. _Wait a minute… how much of a rookie does he think I am? These are baby missions!_ She showed the device to Elma and Lin, mainly to see their reactions—and she was not disappointed.

"BAHAHAHAHAHA!" Lin roared with laughter. "What a joke! You'll be done with these missions in no time! You already installed that data probe, you have the material you need, and wait, when do you get your next FrontierNav return?"  
"Oh, in…" Cross looked at her imaginary watch. "Another hour."  
Elma shook her head. "well, it's a good thing any idiot can take on an 'important mission.' I'm going to go make some tea. Care to join while we wait?" The three BLADEs (oh, and Tatsu) went right back inside to the Barracks, where they relaxed until they heard the telltale _ching!_ from FrontierNav.

Meanwhile, H.B. stood in the Concourse, watching as Team Elma casually strolled off. _Hmmmm,_ he shook his head and sighed as he thought to himself, _must have been so overwhelmed that they decided to take naps instead. BLADEs these days…._

Within another hour, Team Elma returned to H.B.'s waiting spot.  
H.B. gave the group a snarky smirk. "What's the matter? Feeling overwhelmed? Need more time? Don't worry, it took me nearly a week to—"  
"All done."  
"Look, I understand if you need more time—wait, what did you say?"  
"I said, ALL. DONE. Those missions were child's play."  
H.B. gulped. "Oh, well…. I guess I can trust you to accompany me on this mission, then. Recently, Command sent a group of BLADEs to accompany a scientist to Noctilum to research some flora for medicinal properties. Problem is, they recently sent up a distress call. Looks like they may have run into some hostile indigens—or worse."  
"Wait, he's in Noctilum? I haven't even heard of that continent yet…" Cross scratched her head in slight embarrassment.  
"You seriously don't even know where that is?" H.B. stopped just shy of face-palming himself. "Hmph… well, follow me. It's west of Primordia. Seeing as you're fairly efficient you should be all right. Just don't fall behind. I'm not waiting for you if you can't keep up."

Cross felt herself start to rage, yet again. Does this guy really think so lowly of her? _Just wait H.B., the next great BLADE is going to surpass you by leaps and bounds!_

Team Elma, now under H.B.'s direction, hurried their way across the plains of Western Primordia. As they reached the edge of the continent, the group made their way along the cliffside path leading into the lush forests, massive trees, and colorful sands of Noctilum. The path was covered in bright yellow flowers, so vibrant as if they would come to life. Cross reached to touch a petal… only for it to jump up and attack her.

"Yeahhh, I could have told you that was a bad idea." H.B. calmly stated as he drew his shield. As Cross, Lin, and Elma drew their weapons, H.B. toppled the Mortifole with a SUPERIOR WILD DOWN, then leapt onto a nearby rock to fire a few rounds from his assault rifle. "I'm taking a shot from above!" He shouted as he shot a flame grenade at the hostile insectoid. "See how I stack up the hits? Move in for the kill!" H.B. triumphantly exclaimed.

Cross drew her knife and sent it through the beast's skull, effectively neutralizing the enemy.  
H.B. ran his fingers through his hair as he let out a satisfied sigh. "Will I ever stop excelling?"  
Cross stood and stared at H.B., her jaw agape at how arrogant he could be.  
"What's wrong? Amazed at how powerful I am?"  
"No, I'm amazed at how much of an ass you are."  
"Well, I can't please everybody, I guess," H.B. said with a shrug. "Let's move on."

The group entered the lush jungles of Noctilum, where the trees and vegetation were so lush and tall that they blocked out the sun in places. They approached a BLADE basecamp for a quick breather. The air was so humid it was difficult to breathe at times. Cross focused her eyes ahead at a small red lake. The smell caused her nose to burn. What did it remind her of? Vinegar? Cayenne Pepper? Whatever it was, that water was not fresh.

The BLADE at the basecamp handed the team sandwiches and bottled water. "Be careful," he said. "That lake ahead is full of acid. We made the mistake once to splash around in it and ended up with holes in our boots!"

H.B. pondered for a moment. "That's a shame. According to my comm device the fastest way to get to Rust Lake would be through this giant acid puddle….. well, ladies, get ready to run."  
Lin flailed her arms in frustration. "Did you not hear what he just said?! We can get hurt if we go through that!"  
"Tatsu not getting burned today! Tatsu stay in one piece!" the Nopon cried as he stomped his feet.  
This left H.B. with Elma and Cross.  
"Well? Are you two going to back me up? Or am I going it alone?"  
Cross boldly stepped forward. "I'll go. Sometimes you gotta take a risk for the greater good, right?"  
Elma, however, crossed her arms as she shook her head. "Good for you two, I'm going around." She promptly began her trek through the cliffs surrounding the acid lake.  
H.B. shrugged. "Well, it's good to see your team leader is finally living out her dream of being a mountain goat."  
"I HEARD THAT!"  
"Yeah… right. Well, here we go!"

Cross took a deep breath and braced herself for the run of her life. The two bolted through the acid, not even stopping for a breath. Their boots splashed the poison up their legs, and Cross could feel her skin start to prickle and burn. _What the heck was I thinking? My new clothes are gonna be ruined!_  
"There's the end. Ready to leap for it?" H.B. asked between breaths.  
Cross met his eyes with a firm nod.  
The two launched themselves forward. H.B. hit the ground first, steadying his feet to stand. As he turned towards his new partner, Cross landed in front of him and lost her footing, falling forward and into his chiseled physique. H.B. grabbed Cross's waist to steady her, causing her to blush profusely.  
"Okay now, there's no need to throw yourself at me," H.B. said with a wink.  
Cross huffed. "I wouldn't throw myself at you if you were the last man on Mira!"  
"Ha! Who knows? You may change your mind one of these days. And speaking of ONE OF THESE DAYS, I wonder when Ms. Mountain Goat is going to join us…"  
"I SWEAR WHEN I GET OVER THERE I'M GONNA SLIDING SLINGER YOU RIGHT IN THE ASS!" Elma screamed from the cliff she was scaling.  
"Ohhh, I'm shaking in my holey boots!" H.B. grumbled sarcastically as he turned to Cross. "… by the way, Cross, I'll get you new boots with the reward money once we return to the city."

After very brief deliberation, the pair decided to leave Elma on the cliff so they could continue onward. They climbed large snaking tree roots and snuck through thick vegetation until they happened upon the source of the distress signal. Broken rifles laid all over the jungle floor, and hidden in the vegetation was a single BLADE, mortally wounded.  
H.B. pressed the BLADE for information. "Where's the scientist?"  
"He escaped in a car and went up ahead. It was terrible. Those monsters attacked us. Everyone else… is dead," the BLADE gurgled and coughed through his dying breaths.  
Cross watched H.B.'s face during the exchange. Not once did his expression change or his resolve waver.  
"Let's go, we can't waste any more time."  
Cross was in shock. How could he react so coldly? "Umm… shouldn't we help him first?"  
"You would really choose one life over the lives of hundreds, if not thousands, of people? You would really risk the greater good? This man can die proudly knowing he sacrificed himself for the sake of mankind, but if we lose this scientist…"H.B.'s voice was firm, yet beginning to shake with slight panic.  
"Okay, okay, I get it. Let's go."

The pair hurried on ahead to the base of a large tree overlooking the Rust Lake. There they saw the wreckage of the scientist's car, being terrorized by a "Merciful" Dilus, a large crocodile-like creature with one large red eye on its snout, spike-like spines all over its body, and large webbed feet.  
"…we may already be too late," H.B. muttered under his breath.  
"We don't know that yet! Let's beat this freak first!" Cross drew her weapon, with H.B. following.

The two partners worked in tandem, weakening the Dilus and attempting to topple it with their assault rifles. Their attempts, however, enraged the Dilus, who chomped at them to try and stop the aggression. Cross pulled away to reload her rifle, causing the Dilus to send its tail straight for her! H.B., seeing the oncoming attack, jumped in front and absorbed the brunt of the hit, falling into Cross and knocking her back.  
"Dammit, this thing's tough," H.B. muttered as he grabbed his wounded side.  
"Are you all right?" Cross asked as she reached for her partner.  
"As 'all right' as I can be, given the circumstances," H.B. stated between breaths.

The Dilus then threw its whole body at the two BLADEs, knocking them backwards, then shot poisonous burning stomach bile at them. H.B. and Cross were cornered, with wavering strength and morale. Just as the creature bore its fangs to land the final blow on the pair, a familiar voice rang through the air.

"SLIDING SLINGER!"  
It was Elma! She slid under H.B.'s legs with her attack, peppering his gluteus maximus with a few bullets as she aimed the rest at the Dilus' tail, detonating the appendage.  
"That's what you get for calling me a goat, Mr. Birtwhistle!" Elma stared down H.B., who had moved his hand from his injured side to tend to his now injured rear end. She approached the writhing Dilus and, with a swift "Shadow Strike" to the eye, the indigen was no more. After reluctantly patching up her deserters, Elma led the two to the wreckage.

"Solan, are you there?" H.B. called to the vehicle.  
"H.B. is that you?!" cried a voice from inside the vehicle. "Boy am I glad I picked the right college buddy!"  
"Oh stop, I didn't save you because we're 'friends,' it's because you're actually valuable to the human race. It's nothing personal."  
Solan emerged from the car and chuckled. "Same old H.B.! Thank you so much for rescuing me. Now let's head home!"

Cross stared at the scene that had just unfolded, absolutely befuddled. "Wow, what a jerk."  
"Ehh, Solan's not so bad of a guy," H.B. shrugged.  
"I'm not talking about Solan. I'm talking about YOU."  
"Well, I guess not everyone's going to agree with my sentiments at the end of the day. By the way, Cross, you were a big help today. I _might_ have struggled a bit if it weren't for you."

"Did you forget that _I_ was the one who saved the day?" Elma crossed her arms and tapped her foot in annoyance.  
"Actually if I remember right _you're_ the one who shot me in the ass. But thanks for helping, I guess. And Cross, I think you've earned the privilege to work with me on future missions as my rival, or friend, or whatever."  
Cross playfully rolled her eyes. "I'm HONORED great Hector Birtwhistle. How can I EVER match your greatness?"  
Elma, however, was less than impressed. "No way. I'm not dealing with your arrogant ass ever again!"

"Well then, Ms. Elma, you are certainly missing out. How about we head back to NLA and have some coffee while we fill out paperwork? My treat."  
"Sounds like fun to me!" Cross beamed. Despite her first mission with her new rival being a bit of a misadventure, she couldn't help but smile. She truly enjoyed the fun—albeit, strange- experience. The three BLADEs, accompanied by Solan, departed east towards NLA. The entire trip, the rivals challenged each other and showed off their achievements as if they had been friends for years.

Solan laughed to Elma, "well, I guess I will have some competition for BFF status! Not that I mind, really."  
Elma merely shook her head. How can ANYBODY want to befriend H.B.? "Solan, you must have really low standards if you call a guy like _him_ your 'friend'."  
The group had finally reached the west gate of NLA by the end of the day, excited to get their exhausting adventure on paper and done with. As they approached the BLADE tower to report back to Commander Vandham, Elma suddenly stopped as she gasped out loud. "Guys…"  
Cross turned around, slightly confused. "What's the matter Elma? …wait… oh no…"

Both women then screamed in unison. "WE FORGOT LIN AND TATSU!"

 **A/N: Did you know that every time H.B. breaks into a run he says "here we go!"? Yeah, now you're going to turn on XCX and try it! (It's adorable, by the way). Thanks for reading! Remember to R &R! I should have Chapter 3 up in about a week or so.  
Next Chapter: H.B. joins Cross and Team Elma on a mission in Oblivia, where the rivals learn the importance of cooperation, not competition.  
**


	3. Chapter 3 - Afraid to Fall part 1

**A/N: Welcome to Chapter 3! I had some difficulty writing this chapter, so my apologies for a late upload. Based on Story Mode Chapter 5. After this I'll start to make (somewhat) more original chapters, I promise. This is just to add some more development to the story. And without further ado, I present Chapter 3!  
Disclaimer: **_**I do not own Xenoblade Chronicles X or its superior cast of characters.**_

Chapter 3: Afraid to Fall, Part 1

"You're still here? It's nearly 3 in the morning and you're starting to fall asleep. She made it through the procedure just fine, so why don't you head home now…"  
"Not yet, Elma. She's here because of my carelessness. At the very least, I should stay until she's conscious again…"  
"H.B., you can't shoulder the blame for this. This would most likely still have happened…"

Cross slowly felt herself return to reality. The air was cold and smelled sterile, with some hints of metal mixed in. Her eyes opened, yet all she saw was darkness. She could hear the slightly muffled, echoing voices of her comrades, but she could not see where they were. _Just where am I?_ She thought to herself.

Suddenly, light flooded into the enclosed space she was in as the door opened, revealing her friends on the other side. They were all standing in a long, empty-looking hallway. She exited the pod that she was in and took in the sight of the three people who were waiting for her. First she saw Lin and Elma, who were both visibly happy by the well-being of their comrade. She then looked straight ahead, and that was when she saw him. He was leaning against the wall, with a slight slouch, probably from exhaustion. His arms were crossed, and those normally intense green eyes that she sought out were different this time. Now they were a mixture of relieved, thrilled even, as he scanned her from top to bottom with a sweet smile on his face. _Much better than he looked the last time I saw him,_ she thought to herself. How did she wind up in this place anyway? It started just 2 days ago, on a perfectly normal morning…

Ever since their first mission together, Cross and H.B. had grown fairly close in their friendship. Every chance they had, they would take on some bounty or gathering missions together, always eager to gain more experience. Despite that, most of their major missions took place with their respective teams. But any time that they were both in NLA, the two rivals loved to meet first thing in the morning and compare notes over coffee. 

Cross wasn't sure what exactly it was about Hector Birtwhistle that she liked. Despite his… self-righteous attitude, she found that completing missions with him was actually enjoyable. Perhaps it was the way he eagerly took on all types of missions that she found so intriguing; maybe it was how his battle style so perfectly complemented hers that she found so alluring. Or maybe it was how he continuously challenged her to be the best BLADE operative she could be that attracted her. Still, maybe it was something else that she just was not aware of yet.

Elma, however… still was not too fond of H.B. Ever since his first mission with Team Elma, she just could not get past his personality. Or it may have been the fact that he called her a goat. Needless to say, Elma refused to have H.B. as her fourth team member, despite the fact that her more recent recruits were… not exactly living up to her expectations. 

This particular morning, Cross and H.B. found themselves at the Barista Court enjoying a few cups while detailing their latest adventures to each other. 

"So then we rounded the corner of the mountain, and we entered into this tiny opening in the rock formation. The cavern inside was beautiful, with huge stalactites hanging from the ceiling, and three Aeviters in the middle! I swear, it's amazing the things we Pathfinders get to see every day, and bringing the images and intel back to the people of NLA is even more rewarding." H.B. could not keep the smug grin off of his face. "Just imagine when I am commander of BLADE. They'll build a Hector Birtwhistle monument, with exhibits through the halls chronicling all of my adventures and achievements!"

"Buuut what if I end up as commander?" Cross teased.

"Well now, there's nothing like friendly competition to make my future successes that much sweeter. But it's okay, when my monument is built, you may get a thank-you plaque, or even a statue by the restroom or… something."

Cross just shook her head. After spending so much time with H.B., she stopped getting offended by how arrogant he could be at times.

"But enough about me. I heard you had a run-in with a Ganglion dominatrix, Cross. I'd love to hear this one." H.B. leaned back in his chair as he took a sip of his espresso, particularly cheerful this morning. After the last week of rain, the bright sun in the sky was especially welcome, and it visibly affected both of their moods.

"She said her name was Goetia. Trashy name, right? Anyway, she had scaly blue skin and tentacles for hair, and she was dressed in tight leather bondage wear, and she had a whip!" Cross became animated as she described their new foe. 

"Well, she sounds like someone is desperate for validation! But at least you guys beat her for now. Do you think she'll be back?"

"Unfortunately, yes. But hopefully next time we'll be prepared at least. I'm glad we had Lao to help us, but from what I've heard he's ridiculously unreliable. I wish we could take you on one of our team missions these days…" Cross sighed as she knew the likelihood of that happening was slim.

"Who knows? Maybe I'll have yet to redeem myself in your team leader's eyes. What was her name again? Ellen? Elmer?"

"It's ELMA, you little twit," the Colonel stated firmly as she approached the pair. "And if anybody is to become commander, it's going to be me. After all, I am the most experienced and the most trusted by Commander Vandham…"

"Oh, ELMO, what great timing. Cross and I were discussing the likelihood of me joining your team for a mission one of these days," H.B. said with a smirk, completely ignoring her perfectly logical sentiments. 

"Well, Mr. BUTTwhistle, I think it's safe to say that the answer is a firm NO. Seriously, do you have ANY other friends in BLADE besides Cross?" Elma crossed her arms and glared daggers at the Pathfinder. 

"Touché!" H.B. laughed, then pondered for a moment. "And actually, now that I think about it… no. And it's not like I haven't tried, either. Yelv is barbaric and thugs around all the time, Frye is too drunk to carry an intelligent conversation with, Alexa only speaks Skell, and Phog is always staring off into the distance whenever I try to get his attention," his voice dropped to a whisper. "and I think he's got a thing for his brother."

Cross blinked slowly. _Wow, I didn't realize until now that my friends are a bunch of misfits…_

"Again, the answer is a resounding NO. Don't think that I'm going to fall for the old 'he has no friends' bit," Elma bluntly stated as she stomped one foot.

"Oh come on, Elma!" Cross begged. "We really ought to have a fourth person with us! It's not like I'm bringing Frye again. Remember last time when he puked on that plant in Sylvalum and ended up unleashing a horde of Germivores on us?" 

"Okay, okay, you have a point," Elma conceded with a slight cringe. "You can come along one of these days, Buttwhistle."

"Hey, it's Birt—nevermind," H.B. shook the correction out of his head. _I should just be grateful that I'm joining them_ , he thought.

 _BEEP! BEEP!_

Elma pulled her comm. device out of her pocket. When she opened the screen, Lin was on the other end of the call.  
"Hey, Elma!" Lin was, once again, far too cheerful. "Irina and Gwin are here right now. They said they need to talk to the team about something important. I'm going to go make them some food…" 

"STOP! DO NOT TOUCH ANYTHING. DO NOT ALLOW THEM NEAR THE FOOD. We're on our way!" Elma grabbed Cross's arm in a panic. "Let's go! You too, H.B.! We need to hurry!" 

The three BLADEs ran back to the Barracks as fast as their feet would take them. Upon entering, Elma could smell it—FOOD. She ran into the kitchen in a panic, and sure enough, her fears were confirmed by the sight of the bare cupboards and refrigerator. Irina and Gwin had, sure enough, eaten them out of BLADE and Barracks.

"What did you guys want that was so important?! To consume everything in sight? What are you guys anyway?!" Elma shouted as she stomped over to the Interceptors in a rage.

"Oh, Colonel! So glad that you're here! We have some really exciting intel to share with you!" Irina had a big smile plastered to her face and she nervously greeted her superior.

"Don't change the subject! You and Gwin ate all of our food! And who's going to replace it? I don't suppose you would actually do the responsible thing and pay us back for everything you owe us?" Elma was, once again, angrily stomping her foot.

"Well, no worries, Colonel. With the money you get from this mission, you can fill your cupboards, and even have extra!" Gwin waved happily from his seat, his belly protruding slightly from all the food he consumed.

"Okay, just hurry up and get on with it…" Elma sighed. This was one battle she was not going to win, no matter how hard she tried.

The group went up to mission control, where the Interceptors briefed them on the mission at hand.

"So we were out on a mission doing Interceptor-y stuff, when Commander Tanktop decides to give us another mission!" Gwin complained.

Elma rolled her eyes. "Sounds 'rough.' So what do you want us to do? Take the job Vandham gave you? Are you guys _that_ lazy?" 

"U-uh-ah. No. It-It's not like that, really. It's just that we can't focus on both at the same time." Irina promptly attempted to defend herself and Gwin, and hopefully save some face with the Colonel, though she was beginning to feel like that was not going to happen anytime soon. "Anyway, here's some footage from a data probe in Oblivia." She pulled up images of a massive xenoform ship getting attacked by Ganglion turrets. "If the Ganglion are attacking these guys, then they obviously aren't working with them. And if we can help them out, we may be able to form an alliance with them."

"So in other words, 'the enemy of our enemy may be our friend', right? It would make sense then for us to help them," Cross observed with a nod. 

"Those turrets are located in the Mesa Fortress. I've been by there a handful of times," H.B. remarked. "Although, seeing as the Fortress is heavily armed, most BLADEs haven't even approached it."

"Exactly! Which makes it the perfect chance for you guys to shine like you always do!" Gwin beamed… a little too brightly.

"… right. Well, send us the coordinates and we'll check it out," Elma sounded off exasperatedly. Despite her genuine care for the Interceptors, they were beginning to get on her nerves, especially today. "Everybody else, let's prepare our supplies and gear and head out ASAP."

And just like that, Team Elma, plus H.B., headed north towards Oblivia, ready to take on their next adventure.

 **A/N: Phew, that was painful to write. Hopefully Chapter 4 will be a bit easier for me to finish.**

 **R &R! **


End file.
